Mask "mwai" ("mvai" / "mwei") ·  Papua New Guinea, Iatmul · ID: 3046698

Description

wood, pigment remains, fine old used patina, minor missing parts

“Mwai” masks, portraying clan ancestors, always appear in pairs.

They are are mounted on conical rattan and coconut fiber racks encased in painted palm leaf sheaths. The costumes are worn by younger, newly initiated men who hide under the rack, singing in howler pipes.

Women dance around the masks and try to recognize the identity of the mask wearer by the legs. Thus, the performances also serve the approach of the sexes and the love spell.

The object Mask “mwai” (“mvai” / “mwei”) with the object ID 3046698 was part of the auction 94th Tribal Art Auction on March 7, 2020. The object with the lot number 123 achieved a sales price of EUR 13,000 with an asking price of EUR 1,800.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Oceanian art.

Comparing literature

Peltier, Philippe et.al., Tanz der Ahnen, Zürich 2015, p. 263